Seat



c. HQMENGE Dec. 26, 1939.

SEAT

Filed Sept. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet Yl .....wwww QV INVENTOR. iCZarcfzre; /Ve/fe,

A TTURNEY.

ze, 1939. c, H MENGE 2,185,036

SEAT

" Filed sepi. k1e, 1955- 2 sheets-sheet 2 5l 9 v i l Ils/VENTOR, (-50C'Zdrfzze Menge.

` )I /Aav/@m ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT SEAT tion of DelawareApplication September 16, 1935, Serial No. 40,741

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to seat construction. Moreparticularly, it relates to that particular class of seat constructionswhich are adaptable for use in automobiles, wherein both a seat cushionand a seat back are provided and both are formed of relatively resilientconstruction.

This application is an improvement over applicants prior co-pendingapplication, Serial Number 23,587, led May 27, 1935, which matured intoPatentNo. 2,106,644, issued January` The present application, as was thecase in the prior co-pending application referred to above, contemplatesthe utilization of spring elements of zig-zag or sinuous form such asare disclosed in the patent to Karl Kaden, No. 2,002,399, issued May 21,1985.

The springs shown in the Kaden patent constitute a similar series ofadjacent convolutions of spring wire, all of the portions of the saidconvolutions adapted to lie substantially in a s ingle arcuate surface.Anchoring means are pro vided for the opposite ends of the springmembers .and it has been found that a marked degree of resilience isobtained due to the inherent resilience of the convolutions. Further, ashas been brought out in the Kaden patent referred to above, a series ofthese spring elements arranged in substantially parallel relation andhaving their ends anchored, lie in arcs which are of greater radius thanthe normal arc of the spring element when in repose.

Applicants prior co-pending application referred to above is directedprimarily to a seat back construction in which a frame supporting theresilient elements is spaced from a seat back by means of additionalspring elements or jack springs in order to materially increase theresilience of the structure as a whole.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide acushion structure in which spring elements of the sinuous type describedabove are used not only to give resilience to the surface structure ofthe cushion, but are also used for the purpose of spacing the surfaceportion of the cushion structure from the backing or mounting framethereof. r

Still further, the present invention contemplates utilization of novelmeans for anchoring the frame surrounding the surface portion of theseat to the mounting frame in order that the relative movement betweenthese two members may be guided and controlled.

Still further, the present invention contemplates the provision ofdiierent spring constructions for various portions of the cushionstructure in order that the respective resilience oi said portions maybe varied in accordance with the conditions to which they are subject.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of arelatively simple, strong and compact structure in which relativetransverse movement between the surface and base portions of the cushionelements is prevented.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seat cushionin which the top surface tlriereoi` has substantially uniform resiliencethroughout, this top surface portion being supported by a relativelyrigid marginal frame. Means are provided for mounting this marginalframe with respect to a base frame in such a manner that the forwardmarginal edge of said frame will have a slightly greater resistance tomovement toward the base frame than the rear portion thereof in order toprovide the seat with a normal and natural resistance to the loadsimposed thereon.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following specifications when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved cushion and seat back withportions broken .away to show the spring structure;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, withportions broken away, showing the structure of the seat back;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view with parts broken away, showing themanner in which the ends of the spring elements are secured in theborder rail;

Fig. 5 is asectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-5 of Fig. 4, showing thechannel in the border rail;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary'perspective view of the base frame andthe tacking strip associated therewith, showing the means by which thestrengthening tie rods are secured to the base frame; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8, showing themanner in which the ends of these tie rods are secured to the baseframe.

dit

With more particular reference to the drawings, the improved seatcushioncomprises a base frame I formed of a sheet metal member of substantiallyS-shape cross section, which extends completely around the entire baseoi the cushion. This base frame I has a tacking strip 2 secured theretoby means of leather thongs passing around the base frame member I andsecured to the tacking strip by means of tacks d.

The S-shape cross section of the base frame member l provides aninwardly presenting channel entirely surrounding the base portion of thecushion and adapted to receive the various elements which serve tosupport the surface portion or auxiliary frame of the cushion. This basemember i is also provided with an outwardly presenting channel whichmerely serves the purpose of strengthening the base frame and providinga more rigid structure.

An auxiliary cushion frame 6 is provided and adapted to be mounted inspaced relation with respect to the base frame i. This auxiliary frame 6comprises a continuous strip of border wire which is generallycylindrical in form and has a channel cut therein throughout its length.This channel provides an inwardly presenting recess throughout theentire length of the wire, and provides a channel extending completelyaround the cushion and opening inwardly toward the center thereof. Theborder wire member E constituting the upper or auxiliary frame of thecushion is resiliently mounted on the base frame at the front portionthereof by means of a plurality of spaced arcuate spring elements l.These spring elements 'i are of the type described in the Kaden patentreferred to above and comprise a series of similar lateral bends alllying in substantially the same surface. They are formed on arcs ofrelatively large radius and each has its last lateral convolutioncrimped into the channel of the base frame at its lower end and at itsupper end; the last lateral convolution is crimped into the channel ofthe border wire 6 as shown in detail in Fig. 4. The rear marginal edgeof the auxiliary frame 5 is connected to the base frame I by means of asimilar spring element bent into arcuate or parabolic form on a curve ofconsiderably less radius than the spring element i just described. Itwill be apparent that due to the smaller radius of the curve of thespring elements 8, the rearward portion of the cushion will have aconsiderably greater resilience than the forward portion thereof. Thisis desirable inasmuch as the'major part of the load is usually carriedon the rearward portion of the seat cushions.

The auxiliary frame 6 is strengthened at suitable points throughout itstransverse width by means of bow members I0 formed from border wiresimilar to that used for the margin of the auxiliary frame 6 and havingshort pieces of wire II crimped in their ends and bent at an angle andcrimped into the channel of the border wire. The tie rod or bow membersI 0 forming the braces for the auxiliary frame 6 have a downwardlypresenting channel and at substantially the mid-point thereof havecrimped in said channel a tie wire I3 which has its opposite end crimpedinto the channel of the base member I. It will be readily seen that thisstructure prevents material transverse movement of the auxiliary frame 6with respect to the base frame I, yet does not interfere with areasonable amount of relative vertical movement between these members.

aisance The seat back is formed of substantially the same generalconstruction as the seat-cushion and is provided with a base member 2@and has a tacking strip generally designated as i9 secured thereto bymeans of leather thongs I8.

The auxiliary frame of the seat back comprises a pair of sections ofborder wire 22 and 23 constituting, l respectively, the upper and lowermarginal edges of the seat back. ri'hese border wire members 22 and 2,3are spaced from one another bymeans of arcuately extending wires 2dwhich constitute the marginal end portion of the auxiliary frame andwhich wires have their ends crimped into the channel in thebordermembers 22 and 23. It will be appreciated that this constructionis slightly diiferent from that' disclosed in connection with theauxiliary frame of the seat cushion and it will be obvious that the seatback may be formed with a continuous section of border wire extendingcompletely therearound; or the seat cushion may be formed of twoseparate sections of border wire interconnected by auxiliary wires ashas been illustrated in connection with the seat back. Either of theseforms may be used in either instance as may be found desirable.

The auxiliary frame of the seat back is resiliently connected to itsbase frame 26 by means of a plurality of upper and lower spring elements25 and 26 similar in construction and shape to the elements 6 describedin connection with the seat cushion and having their ends similarlysecured in the channel of the border rali members of theauxiliary frameand the channel of the base frame. f

Inasmuch as the loads generally imposed on the seat back are exerted insubstantially the vertical central portion, the curvature of thesupporting spring elements 25 and 2e is shown to be the same. However,it will be appreciated that the curvature of these spring elements maybe varied to produce any desired degree of resilience.

The auxiliary frame of the seat back is strengthened by means of tie rodbows 28 spaced at suitable intervals and similar in construction to thetie rod bows l0 described in connection with the seat cushion. These tierods 28 have short pieces of wire 29 firmly crimped in their ends andbent laterally and secured in the border rail members 22 and 23.

The base frame member 20 is strengthened by means of tie channels 30spaced at suitable intervals throughout its transverse width. Thesechannel members have their ends attened as at 3| and slotted as is seenin Figs. 8 land 9, and have these ends rmly anchored in the channel ofthe spaced member 20 by means of crimping the metal of this channeltightly against the at portion 3| of the end of the tie channel 30 andforcing some of the metal into the slot in this ilattened portion.

The base portion l of the seat cushion is similarly strengthened bymeans of tie rods 35 interconnecting the forward and rearward margins ofthe base member I and secured in the channel thereof in substantiallythesame manner as has just been described.

'I'he seat cushions and seat back are provided with resilientsub-surfaces formed of arcuate spring members 40 and 4I respectively.These members, as have been described in detail in applicants priorco-pending application referred to above and are normally when in reposeformed on arcs of considerably smaller radius than when in actual use.These members are spaced at suitable transverse intervals across boththe seat cushion and the seat back and have the last lateral convolutionof each of the members securely crimped intoy the channel of the borderrail element as is shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive. Links 44are provided at suitable intervals connecting adjacent convolutions ofthe spring elements in order that their relative transverse positionwill be maintained without in any way impairing the individualresilience of each of the elements. Both the seat cushions and the seatbacks may be covered as is conventional in the art. generally designatedby the reference-character 41 servesv to cover the spring sub-surfacescarried by the auxiliary frames of these members and is carried aroundto the base frame and secured to a tacking strip carried thereby.

It will be seen that in the structure herein disclosed, a seat structurehas been provided in which auxiliary frames are spaced and resilientlymounted upon a base frame.

It will be further seen that each of these auX- iliary frames serves toprovide the sole means for carrying spring elements which constitute thesub-surface of the seat and seat back portion. It will be further seenthat substantially the same general type of spring element serves toprovide a resilient means of interconnecting the auxiliary frame withthe base frame thereof. Further, it will be apparent that by varying thedegree which these resilient supporting elements are bent, inherentresilience of the mounting of the auxiliary frame of this cushion withrespect .to the base frame may be altered, as may be desired.

Many other and further objects of the invention will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a seat construction, a pair of spaced frames each having' aninwardly presenting channel, sinuous spring elements having theirterminal ends locked in the lchannel of one of said frames and arched toform a Vresilient subsurface for said seat, and spring elements eachhaving one terminal end locked in the channel of one of said framemembers and the other end locked in the channel of the other of saidframe members whereby to provide a resilient interconnection betweensaid frames.

2. A seat construction including in combination, a base frame and acushion frame, both of said frames being substantially rectangular inconfiguration, springs interconnecting said frames and serving tomaintain the same in resiliently spaced relation, said cushion framehaving arcuate sinuous spring elements extending from side to sidethereof, braces extending across said cushion frame arched in adirection opposite to the arc of said sinuous spring elements, vandadditional brace members lextending from substantially the midpoints 'ofsaid -cushion frame to said base frame to preclude relative lateralmovement between said frames.

3. A seat construction including in combina- The conventional form ofupholsterytion, a cushion frame comprising border wire elements formingthe front and rear marginal edges thereof, arcuately disposed sinuousspring elements spanning said frame and having their ends locked in saidborder wire elements, said sinuous spring elements being arched upwardlylfrom the plane of said border wire elements,

border wire elements constituting ends for said frame interconnectingsaid rst mentioned border wire elements at the ends thereof, and bracingelements spanning said first border elements and arcuately curved andarched in a direction opposite to said sinuous spring elements.

4. A seat construction including in combination, a cushion framecomprising border wire elements forming the front and rear marginaledges thereof, arcuately disposed sinuous spring elements spanning saidframe and having their ends locked in said border wire elements, saidsinuous spring elements being arched upwardly from the plane of Saidborder Wire elements, border wire elements constituting ends for saidframe interconnecting said first mentioned border wire elements at theends thereof, and bracing elements extending `between said front andrear border wire elements intermediate their ends, said brace elementsbeing arcuately curved and arched in a direction opposite to saidsinuous spring elements.

5. A seat construction including in combination, a base frame and acushion frame, said upper frame being of channel formation, iiat zig-zagspring elements disposed on an arc of small radius having the endsextended and secured in the channel of said cushion frame, spring meanssupporting the top and bottom frame elements, and braces extendingacross the top frame element secured in the channels thereof forretaining the channels against transverse movement.

6. A seat frame embodying a rectangular shaped border element of channelsection, flat zig-zag spring strips having a set on a small radius withthe ends extended and secured in said channel and a brace extendingacross said border elements secured in the channel thereof to preventtransverse movement of said elements.

7. A seat frame embodying a rectangularshaped border element of channelsection, flat zig-zag spring strips having a set on a smallv radius withthe ends extended and secured in said channel and a brace extendingacross said border elements secured in the channel thereof, a baseframe, and an additional brace interconnecting said lrst brace to saidbase frame.

CLARENCE H. MENGE.

